Cottrell has re-branded their strap trailers under the moniker "NextGen". This came on the heels of the stern letter they sent out that warned against modifying their chain trucks to use straps instead of chains. This letter basically said, "Convert your chain trailer to straps, and you might just void your warranty. blah, blah blah You should buy a strap truck, if that's what you really need. blah, blah blah"
This is sheer genius. Lawsuits against Cottrell are practically a cottage industry for certain law firms. The LAST thing they need is another lawsuit. It defies logic to imagine how a jury could conceivably blame Cottrell for a problem resulting from a modification of their trailer done by a third party. But of course, the legal system defies logic on a daily basis. Cottrell has turned a potential negative into a marketing opportunity.
So... if you're hauling Toyotas, you have the pleasure of deciding whether to (maybe) void your warranty on your not-so-old trailer... OR... sell your chain trailer into a down market, take a hit and buy a new strap unit from Cottrell. If you can get financing.
Of course, you could buy a strap unit from Boydstun, but at least as of today's date, that would have to be a strap unit that utilizes screw actuator units. Boydstun is supposed to be coming out with their own version of a cylinder-strap trailer any day now, so I'll post something on that when I hear more.